Hi Quel! I was wondering if you knew of any guides about roleplaying on forums such as jcink
I actually wrote one back on my old blog, in April, but Iâll repost it here and update it. Itâll be under the cut.
So, it has come to my attention that forum roleplaying isnât as straight forward as I thought it was. If youâve never played on forums before, the scope of it may seem very daunting, especially if thereâs no one around to tell you what to do or how to act. This guide is to try and help you acclimatise to the change of platform, and maybe assist you in your endeavour to try out forum roleplaying, even if itâs just the one time.
FINDING A ROLEPLAY
So where do you even start looking for a forum roleplay to join? On Tumblr, you have the RP-designated tags that you can scour, but how does this work for forums? Itâs a lot simpler than it seems. Most big resource sites have an advertisement section and some sites are there for the sole purpose of giving you a place to advertise your forum roleplay. Some of these sites are:
RPG-DIRECTORY: A directory for forum roleplays. Iâve been a member of RPG-D since May 2006, was a graphics mod for a while back on their old site as well. This is a great place to find a large variety of roleplays, on many different hosts.
A THOUSAND FIREFLIES: ATF has been around for a very long time, and while you need to register to view much of their content, itâs highly suggested to do so if you want to play on forums, since a lot of the resource the community provides can really help you.
CAUTION 2.0: A site not unlike ATF, Iâm not sure which one was first (I believe Caution, though, with a previous reiteration), but like on ATF, you need to register to view their content. They also provide a lot of coding, graphic help, guides and, of course, advertisement.
ALL THINGS ROLEPLAY: ATR is a Tumblr dedicated to the advertisement of Invisionfree and Jcink forums (a particular forum host). They also provide other resources, and for the user that is more familiar with Tumblr, this may be an excellent way to start looking for your first forum to play on.
For the sake of this guide, however, I will use The Esoteric Agenda, an old, old forum I used to run, but has been dead for five years now. Itâs on Invisionfree, but Jcink and Invisionfree are from the same people, and itâs essentially the same thing, except for some minor differences that Iâll talk about at the end of this guide
RULES AND REGISTERING
When youâve found a roleplay you like, the first thing you need to do is read the rules. The rules are often found in the first category you come across [here], labelled as âimportant information", or something to that effect. Itâs highly suggested that you read all the information provided there, because it goes a long way to answering any question you might have regarding the roleplay.
The rules will tell you not only how the admins wish you to conduct yourself, it also gives you information regarding activity, graphics, and, most importantly, how you should register your account. Most RPs allow OCs even in the face of board canons, though itâs always a good idea to check the canons if the RP has them. The canons you can often find in the second category [here], along with the application, and the face claim and member directories. Once youâve decided what character you want to play (whether canon or OC), you should register your character [here] in the manner that the rules stated.
APPLYING AND THE FORM
The application you usually find in the same place as you would any canon characters (if the site has them), which is the registration forum [here]. Before you fill out an application, however, you should look at the face claim thread [here] to make sure the face claim you want to use isnât already taken. If itâs not, then you can go to the application [here] (usually thereâs also an option of a âfreestyleâ application [here]).
To start, you copy the code provided. You have two choices from here on; you can work on your application off-site (via GDocs, a text-program like Word or Wordpad, or even a text post on Tumblr), or you can do so on-site. If youâre sure you can finish your application in one go, you can start a new topic in the Finished forum [here] - make sure to put the right format into the topic title and topic description, which is usually indicated in either the rules or in the application thread. When youâve finished your application, you simply post it and wait until you get a response from an admin. Itâs bad sport to pester admins to look at your application in the cbox, so I highly advise against such behaviour.
If youâre not sure you canât finish your application immediately, or arenât in the position to, you can start a topic in the Unfinished forum [here]. While admins will probably check your application every now and again, they will not touch it or judge it until you say you have finished. You can edit the topic at any time you want, though itâs suggested to finish the application within two days of posting it in the Unfinished forum. If itâll take longer, you can always contact an admin saying so. Once youâve finished your application, you add a reply to the topic, stating as much. Itâs only then that an admin will judge the full work.
CLAIMING AND PLOT PAGES
In the event that youâve been accepted, you should go to the FC thread and register your FC. You can do this by copying the code provided and changing what the code asks you to in context of your character and FC. You then post the reply to the thread. An admin or mod will add it to the list and your FC has been registered.
After that, you need to post a plot page. A plot page (or plotter/shipper, as itâs also called) is essentially a summary of your character, and the type of plots you can see for them. You can also add a section about friends, enemies and lovers - describing what it takes for another character to fall under these categories and what they can expect from your character, etc. The plot pages are usually found under one forum [here]. To respond to someone elseâs plot page, simply go to their plot page thread and reply to it with your thoughts and ideas [here]. If other people respond to your plot page, you can respond to them there with your response ideas [here].
ACTUALLY ROLEPLAYING
When youâve come up with the outline of a plot with someone, usually you can offer to make a starter, or they offer to. In the first case, you can start a thread in one of the IC boards [here, here, here, and here], depending on the type of communication and the place the thread will play at. When youâve posted your starter [here], you need to âtagâ a person in the topic description, if you are making the starter for someone else (this is usually done by typing âtag: character name/player nameâ). If you are making an open thread, you simply put âtag: openâ in the forum description. In this case, itâs anyoneâs game and another person may reply to your starter, regardless of who they are.
When youâve posted your starter, you wait for the/another person to reply. This is done by choosing âadd replyâ within the thread [here]. When youâve read the response, you reply to their post within the thread with your response. This is done until the interaction comes to an end.
OOC TALK AND WANTED ADS
Any OOC chatter can be done in the cbox on the left. Itâs a good way to get to know your fellow players, itâs a good place to ask questions, and since itâs guest friendly, anything youâre not clear on you can put there. Usually members, or admins, can help you or simply chat with you there.
If you want a specific character to be played, you can start a thread in the Wanted Ads [here]. Here you give a short description of the character(s) you want, your characterâs relationship with them and what you have in mind for them. If someone is interested, they may apply for the character you asked for. Usually you can tell someone youâre thinking of filling their request within the topic they opened for the request.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INVISIONFREE AND JCINK
While my preference is Jcink, The Esoteric Agenda was started on Invisionfree simply because Jcink is a relatively new thing. Jcink gives you a couple of added things that is both ease to the admin and member. For instance, it allows for the admin to edit the way board is actually shown as, as well as something one calls âmini profilesâ [here]. On top of that, the main difference is that, aside from the fact itâs high responsive to HTML and CSS, a member can use a âroot accountâ to create several âside accountsâ, which means you donât have to log in and out whenever youâre switching between characters, and can simply choose the character you want to post as from a drop-down menu.
Is there something you think I missed in this guide? Please tell me. I tried to be as thorough as I could, while still keeping only to the core of it - these are the things that are often the same for every forum, and anything else might be different. Itâs important to realise that not every forum is the same, though it does work the same on a larger scheme. If you have any questions, donât hesitate to send me a message.
